President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Gabriel Attal as France's youngest-ever prime minister as he seeks to head off a Far Right challenge in European elections.
The attempt to reboot his presidency will not necessarily lead to any major political shift. Instead, it signals a desire for Mr Macron to try and move beyond last year's unpopular pension and immigration reforms by focusing on new priorities, including reaching full employment.
The new prime minister will also be tasked with trying to improve Mr Macron's centrist party's chances in the June EU elections.
Opinion polls show the party trailing Far Right leader Marie Le Pen by around eight to 10 percentage points.
Education minister Mr Attal, a close Macron ally who became a household name after being appointed government spokesman during the Covid pandemic, was widely cited by political sources and French media as a strong favourite to replace Élisabeth Borne.
But how does the political system work in France? Here is everything we know:
Why does the country have both a President and a Prime Minister?
The president is directly elected by the French people. The French Constitution declares him head of state and gives him control over foreign policy and defense.
After parliamentary elections, the elected president appoints a prime minister but that appointment requires the approval of Parliament, and the PM must be voted in by elected officials.
The PM almost always comes from the party that is in power as a result. The prime minister is considered the head of the government and is in charge of domestic policy and day-to-day governing.
How often does France have an election?
Parliamentary elections in France are held every five years, or sooner if the president chooses to call one. Until 2002, this used to be every seven years and they are always held on a Sunday.
By law, the campaign has to end by midnight the Friday before the election. There is then an 'election Sunday' where no polls can be published and no electoral publications or broadcasts can be made.
Candidates on the ballot paper must receive over half of the vote in the first round to progress and a second round is organised two weeks later with the top two contenders.
